# 53 bicycles: A lateral thinking puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868 "2017-07-09T19:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 73
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1441 "2017-09-18T15:23:23Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I don’t really know yet. > > Was the command audible? NO > Was the command a disembodied voice? NO > Did the mother set up a tape player somewhere to play a voice? NO > Was the command written? YES > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was it Star Wars related? NO It’s going to be solved, I guarantee it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1442 "2017-09-18T15:31:33Z")
Was the command written in blood? Was the command received on an electronic device? Was the command received in the mail? Was the command written on a piece of paper? Was the command written on a wall or ceiling? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1443 "2017-09-18T15:49:02Z")
Did the mother hypnotize the daughter into believing that she needed to kill her father? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1444 "2017-09-18T15:57:26Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Was the command written in blood? > Was the command received on an electronic device? > Was the command received in the mail? > Was the command written on a piece of paper? > Was the command written on a wall or ceiling? No to all. > [@Clothahump](#): > > Did the mother hypnotize the daughter into believing that she needed to kill her father? No. ---
**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1445 "2017-09-18T16:24:44Z")
Was the command written with a Ouija board? Did the daughter believe a ghost wanted her to kill her father? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1446 "2017-09-18T16:29:22Z")
> [@Sofis](#): > > Was the command written with a Ouija board? > Did the daughter believe a ghost wanted her to kill her father? YES!!! I believe this solves it. The mother manipulated a Ouija board to say that the Father must die. She did so because there was another man she wanted to be with. The daughter believed it was real and shot her father. [Read about it here.](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1IosAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s8oEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7064,1578597&dq=ouija+board+murder+turley&hl=en) ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1447 "2017-09-18T17:59:12Z")
Ohhhh… written with a Ouija board! :smack: Seems a lot more obvious in hindsight. Good one. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1448 "2017-09-19T02:39:39Z")
I like how it was something not relevant that led me to think of the boyfriend thing. Since you said her age was relevant, I was just thinking about things a 15-year-old might be interested in that her dad may not approve of. So I thought of a boyfriend, and how young love seems so powerful. I added the “mother’s boyfriend” as an afterthought. I also find it funny how the story suggests the mother, even after manipulating the board, consulted with the board about whether they would get caught. So she believed at least a little bit. And I have to acknowledge the cleverness of adding a card trick in the mix. Man, I wonder how many TV show plots with this mystic element were based on this. It really does feel like something I would have watched on one of those old murder mystery TV shows. I had to catch myself talking like some writers were behind this. Also love that basic investigation that I would take for granted today is touted as a cop being some amazing clever guy, rather than just doing his job well. Was this something new at this point? ---
**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1449 "2017-09-19T16:37:16Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I also find it funny how the story suggests the mother, even after manipulating the board, consulted with the board about whether they would get caught. So she believed at least a little bit. I read that as part of her work to convince her daughter to go through with it. Reassurances that there will be no undesired consequences is a powerful tool when trying to convince someone to do something unethical. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1450 "2017-09-19T16:55:44Z")
Wait, 1934? I didn’t realize Ouija boards were that old. Checking Wikipedia, it looks like it was invented in 1890, but the article is full of contradictions. I still can’t understand how anyone takes them seriously, though. The pointer moves when peoples’ hands are on it-- How is that interpreted as anything other than people moving the pointer? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1451 "2017-09-19T19:17:02Z")
I have been having weird dreams of late, but last Friday’s was the strangest yet: (Cue up wavy lines indicating a dream) \*\* \*It’s a place I don’t recognize. This is a marsh at the foot of a range of tall mountains at the edge of a vast sea. A figure dressed completely in white stands in the foreground. The face is hidden. The figure produces a large feather and some sort of tool that looks like a hammer. The items are both dropped on the ground by the figure’s feet. Then the figure is gone and I see the feather and the tool. Are they forgotten? Perhaps. They lie there motionless. Hours, years, decades pass. The items remain there still, alone and undisturbed. Somehow I know the feather and the tool will be there for a long time, perhaps forever and ever and ever…\*\*\* I woke up with a start. What could this dream mean? It bothered me. So I went today to the local psychiatrist/dream interpreter (a kind professional named Dr. Mary Scott) for help. She listened to my story and smiled. “No cause for alarm. I think you are just remembering something you saw in the past,” she said. “Let me show you.” She pulled out her cell phone and quickly brought up youtube. She did a quick search. “Was this your dream?” I watched and remembered. Yes. There was my dream on video. ××××× What inspired my dream? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1452 "2017-09-19T19:28:42Z")
How old are you? I have a guess but it requires that you were aware in a certain time period. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1453 "2017-09-19T19:31:59Z")
I’m 99.9% sure I just know this one, so I’ll defer to others to guess for the game. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1454 "2017-09-19T19:33:57Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I’m 99.9% sure I just know this one, so I’ll defer to others to guess for the game. If you think you know, I am pretty sure you do! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1455 "2017-09-19T19:35:14Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > How old are you? I have a guess but it requires that you were aware in a certain time period. Age 56. And I am guessing you got it too! ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1456 "2017-09-19T19:48:11Z")
Yeah, this puzzle needed a bit more obfuscation ;). (Born in 1975, and I got it.) ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1457 "2017-09-19T20:28:06Z")
Let me try again later.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1458 "2017-09-19T20:39:43Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Let me try again later.☹ I liked the implementation. Might just be too well known. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1459 "2017-09-19T21:22:32Z")
I have no idea. Hmmmm Sent from my SM-S765C using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1460 "2017-09-19T21:42:07Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I have no idea. Hmmmm > > Sent from my SM-S765C using Tapatalk Ask questions good Sir! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=72) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=74)